Syria and Iraq held talks Saturday on reinforcing cooperation on oil as well as other trade fields, reported AFP Sunday.

The talks in Baghdad were held between Iraqi Oil Minister Amer Mohammed Rashid and Daud Haydar, director of the oil marketing office in Syria's Council of Ministers, who headed a Syrian delegation of oil, industry and economics ministry officials, the agency added.

ArabicNews.com reported Saturday that the discussions dealt with reopening the petroleum pipeline between Mawsel and Tartous as soon as repair work for the pipeline is done at locations inside both states.

Baghdad and Damascus agreed in August 1998 to restart a pipeline that can run up to 1.4 million barrels of oil a day from the northern Iraqi oilfields of Kirkuk to Banias, a Syrian port on the Mediterranean.

According to AFP, the talks also focused on using Syrian harbors for exports of Iraqi products as well as receiving Iraqi imports.

Iraq and Syria broke off diplomatic relations in 1980, but began to normalize links in 1997, opening their border to businessman and government officials – (Several Sources)